God Doesn't Show Favoritism

Today's Verses -- Acts 10:44 - 48

Context:
After Cornelius had a vision from God to go seek the man staying at Simon's home in Joppa, Peter had a vision, too. Peter was on Simon's roof when he fell into a trance. Three times God showed him 'unclean' food and told Peter to eat it. When the vision ended, Cornelius's men had arrived to request that Peter go with them to Caesarea. They arrived to see that a crowd had gathered at Cornelius's home and Peter was asked to share the message of Christ.

Text:

44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who
heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the
Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues[a]
and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47"Can anyone keep
these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit
just as we have." 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Acts
10:46 Or other languages

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Up to this point, only Jews or those who were converted to Judaism had received the Holy Spirit. It was a shock to see Gentiles who had obviously received the Spirit, and had it not been for the vision Peter saw, he probably wouldn't have believed it was possible.

Have you ever felt like someone (or a group of someones) didn't deserve the love of God? It is reported that Jeffrey Daumer, the serial killer who ate his victims, received salvation and spent the last few years of his life as a devout Christian. Many doubt his conversion. And what of men like Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, and Attila the Hun? Would you be shocked to see them in Heaven?

Anyone can have a deathbed conversion...if he or she honestly believes, repents, and seeks salvation, even in the last moments of life, we are told that God will welcome him or her with open arms. Somehow that doesn't always seem fair.

But a sinner is a sinner...there isn't any priority of 'good sins' and 'bad sins'. We don't deserve to be in the presence of God any more than these men do, for all have sinned and fallen short of God's expectation. We are all 'unclean'.

It is up to us to show others that they can receive Christ's salvation...even if they don't consider themselves 'worthy'. Because in reality, none of us is worthy. Praise God that he loves us anyway!